LEGACY
by SammieRose28
Summary: The young huntress had never known peace. Her life had always been a fight; her mind a constant storm. An unknown power coursed through her veins, one near impossible to control. The young huntress should never have inherited that power; she should have broken the line but she didn't. She was an enigma, a complete mystery. The exception that proved the rule. Season 4 -
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, the characters or plot. I do own Allie, her plot and any characters that you do not recognise.**_

* * *

 _6 YEARS AGO_

Dean Winchester watched his partner in crime as she flicked through a dusty old book from her adopted father's collection. They sat underneath the large oak tree that was a mile south of her home; the spot had become their place shortly after they had been introduced. His father John had been to ask his old friend Bobby's advice on a case, bringing his sons with him; he allowed Dean to wander around the land with the slightly younger girl and they became fast friends.

Bobby always called them Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee due to their similarities; always finishing each other's sentences and knowing what the other was thinking before it even crossed their mind. He had always said that was why they were such a good team. It was completely expected when the pair decided to hunt together, both of their fathers were aware of the promise they had made to each other in their younger years and although John wouldn't admit it, he was glad that Dean had someone to depend on especially after Sam left for college.

Allie rubbed her temples as a pain shot through her head, her ears were ringing and with every blink came a new vision or bright light. The young hunter had always had special abilities, she could feel things and see things before they happened, feel the emotions of others and see their future by the slightest touch. Dean stared at her as his brow creased in worry. He knew that she was dying and it killed him, she had grown more powerful recently but it seemed to be consuming her. The visions were constant, as were the headaches and she had been vomiting frequently due to the overwhelming emotion that washed over her. Allie refused to entertain the idea and merely told him that she was okay but he always knew when she lied.

Her heart rate increased as her palms became sweaty and her stomach churned.

"Dean stop worrying; you're making me ill." She muttered as she rubbed eyes. Allie wasn't an idiot, she knew something was severely wrong with her, she lacked energy and her perception seemed to be in overdrive. She had been dreaming recently about the shadow of a man and the wings of an angel, a voice kept telling her that she needed to stop and listen to him but she always jolted awake before she could hear his message. Normally, she would assume that it was just the standard dream of a worried girl but nothing was normal in her life. It never had been; from the day Bobby had saved her from a demon as it killed her parents and brothers to the day she went on her first hunt. Allie's normality was everyone else's fantasy. "Can we go back to the house? I feel sick." Dean didn't need to respond as he would always do whatever she needed him to.

* * *

As they arrived back at the house, the colour had drained from the girl's face. Bobby looked at her cautiously before eyeing the young man who stood beside her. Allie muttered something about going to get cleaned up before they headed out on a case as she ran upstairs to the bathroom, she knew that the men wouldn't allow her to go but she needed to keep her mind occupied.

"Any information?" Dean asked the older man hastily, "We need to find out where her power came from if we have a chance at saving her. Bobby, I can't lose her. I won't lose my best friend."

Bobby wanted to deliver good news but he couldn't. Since he realised the girl's abilities he had searched every lore book but he came up with nothing relating to females with a similar skill set. He was at a loss and it broke his heart, he had never wanted children but from the moment that he had laid eyes on the little girl of 4 years old he fell in love and 17 years later she was his world. "I don't know what to tell ya, kid." He muttered as he rubbed his hands over his face, he would never be prepared to lose her.

* * *

Allie clutched the side of the bathroom sink, her knuckles white as snow. Her whole body ached with a searing hot pain and she coughed up dark, red blood. Tears streamed down her face, she couldn't control herself. Her mind flooded with images of a certain future, she could see everything. She felt the worry and heartache omitting from the men downstairs and it killed her, she couldn't make it stop. She bit down on her tongue and arched over the sink as an indescribable pain twisted her mind and tore at her soul. Allie lifted her head slowly to look in the mirror, her face was bloody and her eyes kept fading from their usual green to a deep purple. She was dying, these abilities that she hated with every ounce of herself were tearing her apart from the inside out. She screamed as the pain intensified, the sink broke in hands as she squeezed it tighter and the mirror cracked with her stare.

Footsteps thundered up the stairs as Dean and Bobby ran to her aid, the young woman went to call to them but she couldn't find the words. Suddenly, a bright white light consumed her as she lost consciousness.

The men burst through the door only to find nothing but a shattered mirror and a broken sink coated in blood. Allie was gone.

"Where am I?" The girl groaned as she took in her surroundings. Bright white walls, a tiny window and white iron bars. She was in a cell.

"Heaven." A man answered, she recognised his voice from her dreams, "You need to learn control and you couldn't do it alone."

"Am I dead? Who are you? Why am I in a cell? _I didn't do anything!_ "

The man stepped into her cell with her, being sure to lock himself in. He explained to her that he was her guardian, an angel of the lord who had been tasked with her protection since the moment she took her first breath. His name was Castiel.

* * *

A/N:

So I decided to completely rewrite Allie and my Supernatural fic so please let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Thank you to_** smartty2000 _**for their review! I hope you like this chapter! xx**_

Katherine: _**I am practically starting the story again from just before season 4 instead of season 1 and taking a slightly**_ _ **different direction with Allie :) She is going to be slightly more independent but other than that she will remain the same! Also, the relationships will be the same but a lot more will be happening now that I have a definite plot and a ton of ideas from season 4 onwards :) I hope you enjoy this next chapter, Allie and Dean will be reunited in the next chapter and she'll finally see Sam who she hasn't seen since they were kids! xx**_

 **AFTER EVERY HORIZONTAL LINE ON THE PAGE, THERE IS A TIME SKIP.**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, the characters or plot. I do own Allie, her plot and any characters that you do not recognise._**

Allie missed her family and she wanted to go home but she couldn't. Castiel had told her everything about her abilities and the rules were simple – learn to control the powers, you go home. He had been kind enough to fill her cell with things that she loved and had brought her flowers from one of the many gardens in heaven. The girl smiled at the effort her protector had put into making her comfortable but she still felt like a prisoner. Trapped until she met the conditions of her release. She was relieved however when she realised that her abilities did not seem to affect her in such intensity here; heaven was filled with angels who lacked all but the basic of emotions so Allie could be sure that every emotion she felt was her own.

She was also relieved to finally have some answers regarding her supernatural skills. Allie was the Seventh. The legend stated that the Seventh must be male, the seventh son of a seventh son; Allie's birth should have broken the male bloodline and the power should have died with her father but here she was and no one in any dimension could understand why. The young woman from South Dakota had somehow managed to not only maintain the power of her ancestors but also increase it. Castiel had suggested that this may have been because she was a direct descendant of Abel who was thought to be God's favourite child of Adam and Eve; he told Allie that she was of striking resemblance to the man and that he thought perhaps God had seen this and given her the power personally. Allie believed that it was an accident and that God had no part to play in the matter, she wasn't even sure if he existed.

According to legend, the Seventh was destined to rid the world of evil whilst both sides would attempt to manipulate them for their own purposes. They would have the power to heal, foresee the future and the powers of a sorcerer. There was lore from all areas of Earth and it was safe to say that the truth could not be separated from the exaggerations, so Allie was tasked with learning all of it. The only aspects that she knew to be true were those that she had experienced first-hand: if the Seventh does not learn to control their power then they experience a premature death, the Seventh will be gifted with a Sixth Sense – the gift of premonitions and Extrasensory Perception (ESP) and the Seventh will be a cure to all ailments. As far as Allie knew she had never experienced sorcery and according to the lore, that was the hardest to control.

* * *

After months of learning about her power, Allie was ready to learn control. Castiel had read somewhere that the best way to harness a power was through the use of it, they had tried meditation but the girl lacked the concentration and grew frustrated so he stood in front of her and used every weakness she had against her. The most effective being Dean Winchester. After an hour or so of goading, threats and false tales, Allie finally snapped and the power of sorcery manifested itself.

The angel found himself being held against the bars of the cell by an invisible force. He tried to fight against her but found it to be of no use, the Seventh was a lot more powerful than the angels had originally thought. Allie stood in front of him as a wind whipped around the cell, tugging at her long brunette hair, her eyes glowed a vibrant purple as she gritted her teeth.

"Control it!"

"I can't!" The girl screamed through gritted teeth as the windows smashed inwards, cutting her face.

The hurricane finally stopped and Castiel fell to the ground after what felt like forever. He sighed as he looked at the girl; her power had drained her, her nose bled and her eyes wept until she finally fell unconscious subsequently releasing the angel. He was new to all of this; humans, mentoring and most definitely magic. He was a soldier and he had no idea how to help the girl who had a destiny larger than anyone could have predicted. Castiel knew how much Allie wanted to return to Earth but he was under strict orders, she had to remain in heaven until she was no longer of danger to herself or anyone else.

* * *

When she woke, Allie's head was spinning and she was furious at herself. She wanted to go home and she couldn't control the sorcery aspect of her abilities. She had been trying now for the best part of a year, Cas had been patient with her as she threw him across the room and broke his vessel in more ways that she would like to admit and she was fed up of fainting all the time, although that appeared to be the only way to stop her.

She punched the concrete wall in frustration, again and again and she screamed in anger as her blood boiled and her temperature rose. _Stupid._ Punch. _Weak-minded._ Punch. Punch. _Fool._ Punch.

"Don't let them affect to you." A voice sounded from the cell next door. Gadreel – he had become somewhat of a friend to the young woman during her time there, he always listened as she voiced her frustrations and Allie had grown to like him despite Castiel's disapproval. The angel had been locked away in the prison since the beginning of time, he had been in charge of protecting the Garden of Eden from evil (particularly Lucifer) and was imprisoned when the snake entered the Garden which led to the corruption of mankind and the creation of Hell. "You have more strength than you think. Have patience."

"I can't do it. I'm never going to be able to control it." Allie answered quietly as she slid down the wall that joined their cells, concentrating as a purple glow surrounded her bleeding knuckles. Healing used a lot of her energy but it was the only ability she had learned to control. "Now I know how all the monsters I've hunted feel…I'm one of them."

"You are no monster, Allie. You have generations of power inside of you. You are from an unbroken bloodline of seventh sons."

"Cas thinks that it's for my own good, keeping me here but it's just heaven's way of bending me to their will. It's not fair." The young girl sighed, she knew that Castiel was doing everything to protect her and to help her so she could return home but Allie also knew that whoever was giving the order, wanted her here for a reason.

"Just because something is difficult, does not mean you should give up." Gadreel spoke causing the girl to smile. "You were born with the purest heart, do not let anything corrupt it."

"I don't think you're as bad as everyone tells you." Allie whispered, "Good people sometimes do bad things."

* * *

 _PRESENT DAY_

It had been six years. Six years since Allie had seen her adoptive father. Six years since she had seen Dean. She had wondered if they ever gave up looking for her and she worried what would have happened to them if they didn't.

Recently, she had heard a lot of talk about the beginning of the apocalypse, the ultimate heaven versus hell and Zachariah, a high ranking angel, had been trying to get her to sign on as one of their personal soldiers. Allie had refused, saying she would play no part in Lucifer and Michael's brotherly bout.

She thought about the impending doom and wanted more than ever to go home.

"Allie, I regret to inform you that I have been dishonest. Dean is not well. He is in Hell." Castiel spoke.

"What…How?" Allie spoke, her face paled before anger took over, "You lied to me?!"

"He made a deal." Zachariah interrupted as he entered with another angel. "There are rumours that the Seventh can kill an angel with a single touch. Inias has volunteered. Try it."

"What?" The girl breathed in shock, she had just learned that her best friend was in Hell and now she was expected to kill an angel? "No. I won't do it."

"Allie…" Castiel began to protest.

"No Cas! Can't you see that it's wrong?" she argued before turning back to Zachariah, "You don't kill one of your own. You said it yourself, there's an apocalypse coming! You are going to need all the soldiers you can get; you can't sacrifice someone on a whim!"

The three angels looked confused, after all these years Allie still couldn't wrap her head around their lack of morality. She missed humans.

"Yes we do need all the soldiers we can get but you refuse."

Allie glared at her guardian angel in defiance and turned back to his superior, "You want me to help you then fine. I will do whatever you need me to do. But you will take me home and you will get Dean out of Hell." She demanded.

"Deal." The angel agreed, a little too quickly for her liking. "But if you refuse, I will send Dean Winchester to the deepest corner of Hell and he will never see the light of day again. Do you understand?"

The young woman knew that she was going to come to regret this but she had made a promise to Dean when they were younger: as long as she was alive and breathing, she would keep him safe.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Please let me know what you guys think! This is kind of a filler chapter to explore how Allie feels at this moment in time but she will be getting back into hunting in the next chapter!

 **xMakaix** : I know, I'm sorry! I really hope you stick with me for this one and please do let me know what you think of the chapters and developments! This story is set later on but I hope that most things will remain true to my original story :) xx

* * *

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, the characters or plot. I do own Allie, her plot and any characters that you do not recognise._**

Allie's loyalty was currently at war with her stupidity. She would do anything for Dean Winchester but she knew that she had bitten off more than she could chew this time. She had walked into a trap and Dean was going to pay for it if she didn't hold up her end of the bargain. Her cooperation for his freedom.

She took a deep breath as she stood outside Singer household. Her hands trembled furiously as she took a shaky breath. She had been standing there for a good ten minutes, all she had wanted for six years was to be reunited with her father but now that she had bargained for her freedom she found herself frozen in her spot. Her breathing increased, she would have a lot of explaining to do if she entered that house; perhaps it was easier to walk away? They would have grieved for her and moved on…perhaps she was selfish to wander back into their lives and expect a warm welcome?

Allie turned to face her protector, tears welled in her eyes as she struggled to breathe: "I can't do it." She whispered through laboured breaths as her lips quivered. She felt like she was drowning as the air seemed to get thicker.

"You have to. It is safer for you to be here now, things are happening in heaven and I am not sure I can protect you there." Castiel replied, emotionlessly.

Her hair stood on end as she brought a shaky hand up to touch the back of her neck, chewing her lip frantically. It was all too much, she would need time to adjust to being around human emotions with her newfound abilities and there were too many questions that she would be expected to answer. Panic set through her as she turned to leave, only to be stopped by the sound of knuckles on a wooden door.

Allie spun round, eyes widened in shock as Castiel moved away from the door: "If you need me, you know what to do." And with the fluttering of wings, he was gone. She debated whether or not she still had time to run but as she heard footsteps at the other side of the door she realised she was going to have to face her fears; she also knew if she did disappear then her feathered friend would just drag her back.

The door opened with that awful screech that used to drive her mental. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat and it took every ounce of strength she had to hold herself together. Soon she was faced with her father, he looked exactly as she remembered him just greyer; a pang of guilt washed through her as she saw the dark circles under his eyes and smelt the whiskey.

"Hi Daddy." She whispered as she bit her bottom lip. The man's mouth gaped open in shock before he threw a cup of Holy water over her. Allie blinked and squirted out the puddle that had entered her mouth as Bobby stepped forward and sliced her with a silver knife.

"It's really you?" He whispered and the seconds felt like hours until he dropped the cup and pulled his daughter into a strong embrace. It was in that moment that Allie broke down, she could barely stand as years of separation and grief washed over her and for a second she forgot everything; that embrace was all that mattered. Salted tears stung her pale skin as she crumbled into the older man's arms, he was all that she had ever known, he had given her everything from the moment that he had taken her in and she would never be able to repay that, not in a million lifetimes. Bobby kissed her temple and held her tighter, the man wasn't one for crying but he had prayed for this moment since the day he lost her and as his blue eyes welled up he felt genuine happiness.

"Bobby, who was it?" A gruff voice sounded from behind the pair and as they pulled away from each other, the owner was met by a face that he never thought he would see again. His green eyes widened as his eyebrows raised in shock. For once in his life, Dean Winchester was speechless.

"You're okay." Allie breathed out in shock before she was tackled into a tight hug.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Dean whispered into her hair as she returned the embrace.

Over Dean's shoulder she noticed another man, he was exceptionally tall with long brown hair and his hazel green eyes wore a look of confusion. Allie quickly concluded that he must be Sam. She hadn't seen the youngest Winchester since they were children and he was almost unrecognisable.

"It's been a long time Sam." She smiled. He nodded in response, smiling once he had finally recognised her. As he pulled her into a hug, Allie's mind flooded with images of dark red blood, black smoke and a pained Sam; she felt a strong darkness surrounding him and as a reflex stepped back, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. Dean caught the brief look that crossed her features, he had seen it many times before and he would know it anywhere. Something was wrong.

* * *

Dean watched his friend expectantly as Bobby placed a mug of tea in front of her. She had promised some answers but as they sat at the table in the kitchen, Allie couldn't find the words. Her knee bounced nervously as she slowly lifted her head to meet the gazes of the men in front of her.

"I believe you've met Cas…" she started.

"So featherhead's with you?!" Bobby exclaimed as the boys' eyes widened in shock. Allie nodded briefly before continuing her story, she found that it was surprisingly easy to confide in them after she pushed through the initial struggle.

"So you died? And the thing that rescued me from Hell is your guardian angel?" Dean asked and Allie fought the smile that appeared as a result of his sceptical expression. After she nodded, he sighed and continued, "And you have all of these powers because of your bloodline? Seventh son of a seventh son? Well, in case anyone hasn't noticed, you're lacking a little something."

Allie laughed for what felt like the first time and earned a smile from both her father and her best friend. "We still don't know why I never broke the cycle."

"That would explain why I couldn't find anything in the lore…" Bobby trailed off. "And you're in control now? You won't go dying on us and disappearing again?"

"Not entirely but I'm no longer nuclear!" The girl shrugged, she was thankful that the men had decided to keep the questions to a bare minimum, only covering the absolute essentials. She hadn't expected them to forgive her so easily but they had assured her that it was not her fault and that they were just glad that she had returned to them. Allie thought carefully about the bargain she had made: "Dean, can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

The young woman didn't want to worry her father but she needed to confide in someone. She knew Dean would understand. As they walked out into the yard, which was filled with scrapped cars, she turned to face him.

"What's up? You look worried."

"I did something. It was crazy and I didn't think it through but, uh, now I'm trapped and I don't know what to do."

Dean frowned at his friend, "I think I have an idea of where this is heading…"

"The seals to Lucifer's cage are being broken and when they are, there'll be an apocalypse…"

"Yeah your angel friend told me. Please tell me you didn't agree to get involved." Dean spoke as shook his head in desperation but the look on Allie's face was all that he needed as an answer. "Oh Al!"

"I know, okay?! I panicked! I heard you were in Hell and I saw a way to get you out. For me to come home." Allie exclaimed before adding, "I acted on impulse and now if I don't cooperate, they'll send you back…I'm not going to let that happen but I'm supposed to be the legendary "Seventh" and I'm supposed to fight against evil but at what costs? The angels don't understand that there is no straight line between good and evil. What if they turn me into something I'm not?"

The eldest Winchester brother pulled the girl into a hug, "I'm not going to let that happen, Al. As long as I'm around, no one is going to hurt you. Looks like we'll be fighting them all together, just like we always have."

"What do you mean?" Allie frowned as she pulled away from him.

"It would seem that Heaven has a plan for me too."

* * *

It was dark outside as Allie sat on the roof of one of the old pickup trucks. She had been home for a few days now and was feeling slightly lost. She had missed the fresh air, Castiel did take her outside to some of the gardens in Heaven but the air was different there, it felt false. The breeze tickled her bare arms as she hugged her knees to her chest as she thought of the angel. She was suffering from a strange case of Stockholm Syndrome; he had been her captor for six years but did it count as a kidnapping if it was to save her life? Allie was unsure but she did know that she trusted him even if she had no idea why. _Stockholm Syndrome,_ she concluded.

Her head had been reeling since the hunters had brought her up to speed with everything. So much had changed in their lives and Allie couldn't begin to comprehend it all. She felt like an outsider and that bothered her. She thought back to the dulled vision she had when she touched Sam the other day, it still unsettled her and she only grew more concerned when Dean told her that Castiel had given him a warning about the path his brother was heading down. _Stop him or we will._ Her thoughts were interrupted when Sam appeared beside her with a cup of hot chocolate and a blanket.

"Thought you might be cold." He muttered as he sat beside her on the roof. "You doing okay?"

Allie smiled in thanks, "Yeah…it's just a lot to take in. So much has happened since I've been gone and if I'm honest I don't really know where I fit in anymore." She sighed as she realised her feelings, it was true, she had no idea where she belonged in this makeshift family. She had missed out on so many years and now that she had returned, everything was different. Allie knew that the world wouldn't just stop when she disappeared and she had hoped that Dean and Bobby had moved past it but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed and for that she felt selfish.

Sam wrapped the red blanket around her cold shoulders, "I know the feeling…" was all he said as he studied her thoughtful expression. He had no idea what to say to her.

The pair remained there in the silent darkness before Allie spoke again: "Do you think I'm selfish for coming back?"

"What? Of course not." Sam answered, shocked that she would even think that. He turned round to face her fully as he added, "This is your home, your family; it wasn't your fault that you had to leave. It was what was best for everyone."

"So I've been told…" She muttered glancing down at her hands. Sam's brow creased in sympathy, the girl beside him had been through more than she would tell, she had been ripped from her life at the age twenty-one, kept in isolation and then thrust back into the world with little to no explanation for any of it. He reached over and squeezed her hand gently hoping that it would speak the words he couldn't find. Allie closed her eyes briefly as she sent away the images that appeared at his touch; they were identical to the ones she saw the first time; she knew they were a warning but in that moment she didn't want to decipher them. "Something's going on with you too." Allie muttered as she returned his gaze, "I can feel it. You don't have to tell me but whatever it is, make sure it's worth it." She added, squeezing his hand as he had hers.

She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that Sam was oblivious to the darkness that he was letting in. He merely nodded in response, he would need to get used to the fact that there were things he would never be able to hide from Allie.

"You know the big tree over there, the one with yours and Dean's initials carved in it?" Sam asked pointing in the general direction, "Dean visited there every six months and he left a box with a charged cell phone, spare clothes and money. Just in case you returned and we weren't here. He never lost hope." He added smiling slightly in reassurance.

Allie smiled, that was all that she needed to hear to know that someone still needed her. Her thoughts wandered to the summers day that they had carved their initials into the tree.

 _"I don't want you to go..." Allie sighed as she sat under the large oak tree on the outskirts of the Singer property. The sweltering heat of the South Dakota sun, battered her bear shoulders as she looked at her friend._

 _The young girl had never known true friendship until she met the oldest Winchester brother. She had always been the shy girl at school, the freak, and she had never felt like she had belonged anywhere. An outsider in a tiny town. She had lived with Bobby for five years now but still felt that no one would understand her; no one would understand that she couldn't sleep over in case she had a nightmare about the room full of black smoke, couldn't stay away from home too long in case she accidentally blew something up with her mind._

 _The day that John had introduced his boys, Allie had made an automatic connection with Dean. He understood what it was like to lose a parent, understood the fear of things that go bump in the night and most importantly, he didn't look at her like she was a freak._

 _"I'll come back when I can and I call you using one of dad's burner cells." Dean smiled before an idea sprung into his mind. "Here, carve your initials with me." The older boy ordered as he pulled her to her feet. "That way this will always be our spot and it'll be a promise that whenever we lose each other, we'll come back here."_

As Allie slipped back into reality, she sipped her hot chocolate. Silence engulfed them as they remained on the roof of the old pickup and for the first time since she had returned Allie didn't feel alone. She was grateful to have Sam Winchester. He was someone that she could share her darkest thoughts with without having to feel the concern leaking out of his pores and without having to scream in frustration as he treated her as if she might break. Allie felt like someone understood what it was like to feel like a stranger in your own home.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Each horizontal line is a time jump btw! Please let me know what you guys think :)

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, the characters or plot. I do own Allie, her plot and any characters that you do not recognise._**

* * *

Hours seemed to pass as the days melted into one and Allie sat sleepless once more. The ceiling fan in the pokey motel room spun incessantly and the fridge hummed an unknown tune. Sam and Dean lay asleep on their separate queen sized beds and the darkened world outside seemed to stand still. Her watch ticked nonchalantly on the arm that squeezed her knees to her chest and her soft hazel gaze stared blankly out of the window. Sleep had become a stranger to the young woman; an old friend that would pass by in the street, too busy to nod in acknowledgement and so every night she would carefully slide out of bed and assume her position at the window.

The hunters had been on the road for a week now with no sign of a case and Allie was itching to get back into the game. Itching for a distraction from the unspoken chaos in her mind. Her body was weary but her mind was in overdrive; a monster lived inside and it scratched and it tore, creating tiny cracks on the surface of her brain. She could feel her mind decaying to its deadly disease, screaming for attention. Her visions had been more frequent, more intense, especially regarding the youngest Winchester brother and as Allie sat on the rusty metal chair at the window, Cas' warnings ran laps in her mind. Something big was coming and somehow Sam Winchester was tangled in the mess.

The twister of thoughts that were spiralling out of control were soon interrupted by the soft whimpering of her best friend. Since his return from hell, Dean had been having nightmares and he had become more withdrawn than usual and Allie wished more than anything that he would confide in her. She watched for a moment, as his brow wrinkled and his head began to thrash about on his pillow, before she stood and quietly tiptoed over to him. Concentrating with all the energy she could muster, she placed a hand on his clammy forehead. She felt the buzz of energy flowing through her veins and marvelled as her hands grew hotter and were surrounded by a soft purple haze. Dean relaxed under her touch and as she drew her hand away his brow ironed out and a gentle smile graced his lips; it wasn't much but Allie would do anything for him and if that meant taking away the nightmares that plagued him every time he closed his eyes then that was what she would do.

As the cool air licked at her, she got back into bed. After ten minutes had ticked by, her adjusted eyes caught movement from Sam's bed, through the darkness, and she watched unnoticed as he crept around the room. Allie frowned as he grabbed his jacket, quickly closing her eyes as he glanced over at her. She heard the faint patter of footsteps on the threadbare carpet and felt a blanket slowly slide over her, covering her bare arms; the gesture warmed her cheeks as she fought the ghost of a smile that threatened to blow her cover. Within minutes, Sam left the motel room and she heard the roar of the Impala.

"Sam just snuck out." She informed when she had eventually managed to wake Dean. Upon hearing this, he finally stopped swatting her and sat up with a thunderous look in his green eyes.

* * *

After hacking Sam's phone using his laptop, Allie sat in the passenger seat of the hotwired car directing Dean to his brother's GPS location. They soon found themselves standing outside of an old abandoned warehouse. _How cliché._

As she stepped towards the door she felt a rough hand wrap around her wrist and pull her back. Frowning, Allie turned around and followed Dean's gaze through the metal bars that barricaded the dust-coated window and she couldn't believe her eyes. Her face relaxed and her jaw dropped as she witnessed Sam removing a demon from its host with what she could only assume was his mind; her breath choked in her throat as she felt his anger rush through her bones. A warm hand rubbed her back as she reluctantly tore her gaze away to look at her friend who held a murderous expression as he flared his nostrils and tensed his jaw.

Allie followed as Dean yanked open the metal door and entered the warehouse; Sam's face dropped at the sight of the pair.

"So anything you wanna tell us, Sam?" Dean asked as anger seeped out of his every pore. Allie remained glued to her spot as he walked towards his younger brother. She eyed the girl who stood behind Sam and frowned as her face morphed shape continuously.

"Dean, hold on okay? Just let me- "

"You gonna say, "let me explain"?" Dean scoffed as he continued forward. "You're gonna explain this? How about this? Why don't you start with who she is, and what the hell is she doing here?"

"It's good to see you again, Dean." The woman almost smirked and Allie knew that she wasn't going to like her.

Dean addressed her by the name of Ruby before he grabbed the dark haired girl and shoved her up against the iron cladded wall. Allie remained still even after he pulled out the demon knife he had told her about and motioned to strike. She had no inclination to help the other woman, no inclination that she deserved help – call it instinct but Allie's feelings were never wrong and in her time away she had learned that they were the only thing, alongside Dean, that she could trust unconditionally. Sam's shouts of protest fell on deaf ears as he grabbed his brother's arm and the pair struggled for the knife. It was only once Sam was in possession of the knife that Allie made her way forward; her heart told her that Sam wouldn't hurt his brother but in that moment her head told her not to trust him or his demonic little girlfriend.

Her fingertips twitched as she fought to control her powers but as Ruby trapped Dean against the wall, they flew into overdrive. Her arm raised without permission as her expression hardened and with one flick of her hand she threw the girl off of him, allowing her to bounce off of the wall.

"Touch him again and I won't hesitate to send you back to the hole you crawled out of. Understand?" She spoke in a menacing tone as the demon stared up at her with widened eyes.

"Al." A voice spoke in a cautious tone. Her eyes shifted at the nickname and her gaze softened as it landed on Dean. "He's hurt."

Swallowing, she nodded and made her way over to the broken man. The only emotion she felt was anger, at herself for giving in to her power but mainly concentrated on Sam even if she wasn't entirely sure why. She muttered brief words of comfort to the man as she focussed the energy that her anger provided her with. Sam and Ruby gasped as they watched the young woman close her eyes and her hands were clasped in a purple haze. The man's injuries were extensive and with her lack of sleep, healing him left Allie weak; Dean caught her as her knees buckled and she remained there as he held her steady.

The younger Winchester finally caught Allie's gaze and his expression crinkled in guilt as her eyes hardened under his stare. Her eyes said everything as he witnessed the disappointment swirl around in the ocean of hazel green and the anger that flashed through the yellow ring of her pupil. The dark rings under her eyes showed her exhaustion and although he believed that he was doing the right thing, her expression swayed him. He regarded her even after she ripped her eyes from his, ignoring Ruby's stare that burned a hole into the side of his head. He watched the exchange between his brother and his friend as they maintained their embrace and whispered to each other, it was something foreign to him – an unknown tenderness filled with an unconditional love – it made him glance down in shame as a hint of jealously bubbled deep within him because he knew in his heart that he would never have that.  
"Ruby take him home." Sam ordered without looking to her.  
As the demon frowned at his bitterness and stood to leave, Dean spat: "Well, aren't you an obedient little bitch?"

The trio remained glued in their spot, avoiding eye contact until Allie stepped over to Sam and held her hand out for the car keys, he immediately obeyed and sighed as she exited through the door. Dean glared at him and looked him up and down before pushing himself off of the wall and following his friend outside, despite his brother's shouts.

* * *

A few hours, a long conversation and a couple of drinks later, Allie and Dean strolled back into the motel room. Dean had decided that he wanted to leave Sam to do whatever it was he was doing and despite Allie's short-lived defence of his younger brother, she had obviously decided to go with him. She wouldn't leave him, not again.

Sam rose from his seat as the pair entered and Allie hovered by the table, glancing over the book he had been reading as the older Winchester grabbed their bags. Her fingers trailed along the edge of the table absentmindedly until Dean nudged her elbow silently telling her that he was ready to leave.

"Dean what are you doing? What, are you, are you leaving?" Sam asked shocked at his brother's reaction.

"You don't need us. You and Ruby go fight demons." Dean replied and as he attempted to leave Sam blocked his path.

Allie rolled her eyes and sat down on the seat that Sam had vacated. She felt every emotion in that room and knew that a storm was coming and as the older Winchester's right fist collided with his younger brother's face, she knew that this wasn't the end.

"You satisfied?" Sam asked, anger evident on his face as he lifted his head again. He was soon met by another, harder fist to the face and the thud of his brother dropping his bags. Blood ran down his lip as he muttered, "I guess not."

"Do you even know how far off the reservation you've gone? How far from normal? From human?"

"I'm just exorcising demons."

"With your mind!" Dean yelled making Allie jump. "What else can you do?"

"I can send them back to hell. It only works with demons, and that's it."

"What else can you do?!" Dean yelled again as he grabbed his brother by the collar and pushed him backwards.

"Dean!" Allie shouted as she stepped between them and placed a hand on his chest, forcing him to take a few steps backwards. She couldn't remember the last time that she had seen him this angry and she was worried that he would say something that he would later regret.

"I told you!" Sam confirmed.

"And I have every reason in the world to believe that." Dean spoke over his best friend's head before turning and walking away.

Sam placed a hand on Allie's shoulder as he gently walked past her and she slumped down onto the bed, defeated as the boys continued to argue. The atmosphere in the room made her nauseous, it was the first time since her return that she had been in such an emotionally charged room and it scared her. It scared her because she didn't know how she would cope, she didn't know if she could control an outburst of power and she certainly didn't want to hurt anyone – not again. With every word that passed between the boys she was punched in the gut by anger and disappointment, much of which she could trace back to Dean. His emotions were so raw and powerful that they drowned out Sam's and overwhelmed the girl, who was starting to remember why she hated her power so much. As her head began to pound, she started to miss the emotionless angels.

Her head suddenly snapped up as her attention was drawn by the lamp smashing against the wall. Her eyes landed on her friend who was the culprit.

"It's already gone too far, Sam. If I didn't know you... I would wanna hunt you." He spoke as he pointed to the ground in emphasis. Allie noticed as Sam's eyes filled with tears and she felt sorry for him, wanting nothing more than to tell him that it would be alright but she couldn't promise him that. "And so would other hunters." Dean added.

"You were gone. I was here. I had to keep on fighting without you. And what I'm doing... It works." Sam spoke softly as he tried to reason with his hulk of a brother.

"Well, tell me. If it's so terrific... then why'd you lie about it to me?"

"And why is an angel telling us to stop you?" Allie spoke softly as she stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his arm.

"What?" Sam breathed in shock, lowering his eyes to meet hers.

"Cas. He said if we can't stop you then they will." She answered, her voice barely a whisper.

"See what that means, Sam? That means that God doesn't want you doing this. So, are you just gonna stand there and tell me everything is all good?" Dean interjected, his tone harsh. Sam pulled his gaze from Allie and looked at his brother tearfully.

The silence that engulfed the tense atmosphere was soon broken by Sam's ringtone. Gently, he patted Allie's hand that remained on his arm and then pulled away. As he answered the call he pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke with a forced tone – one filled to the brim with emotion. Allie glared at Dean for being so aggressive in his approach but merely received a shrug in response causing her to roll her eyes and as Sam choked out his response to the man on the other end of the phone, she knew that they finally had a case.

* * *

Allie sat in silence as she stared out of the window from the backseat of the Impala. The boys were talking about Dean's trip to the past, their mother's family being hunters and the incident that ultimately led to the Yellow Eyed demon killing their grandparents.

"It's just, our parents. And now we find out our grandparents too? Our whole family murdered and for what? So Yellow Eyes could get in my nursery and bleed in my mouth?" Sam sighed. Allie frowned at his final statement and caught Dean's gaze in the rear-view mirror; his expression was identical to hers.

"Sam, I never said anything about demon blood." Dean stated and after seeing the look of guilt that crossed his brother's face he asked the question that was on Allie's lips, "You knew about that?"

"Yeah, for about a year." Sam muttered as he avoided eye contact.

"A whole year?" Dean asked rhetorically as his gaze hardened and he stared out of the window to the road ahead of them.

"I should have told you. I'm sorry."

"You've been saying that a lot lately, Sam. But whatever. You don't want to tell me; you don't have to. It's fine."

Allie sighed audibly as the car descended into silence again. She was tired. Tired of the arguing, tired of sensing the boys' every emotion and tired of feeling permanently exhausted. She glanced at Dean and could almost hear the argument that was running circles in his head as he drove to Carthage, Missouri.

* * *

As the trio sat in the Impala outside the Montgomery household, Allie sighed again. They had been observing the man for a few hours now and nothing spectacular had happened. Dean slapped her feet as she placed them on the top of his seat causing her to move and replace them with her head.

"This is so boring." She muttered into the leather.

"Travis said to keep an eye out for anything weird." Sam spoke as he smiled at the girl.

"Alright, well, yeah, I've seen big weird, little weird, weird with crazy on top. But this guy? I mean, come on, this guy's…"

"Boring?" Allie interrupted Dean as she lifted her head to look at him, only smiling after he threw her a chocolate bar from the glove box. The boys continued to study the house through the binoculars, happy that she was occupied for the time being and silently vowing to never to take her on a stake out again.

"I'd say that qualifies as weird." Sam finally spoke causing Allie to grab Dean's binoculars, almost strangling him as she looked through them. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the man eating raw mince, blood running down his hands and chin.

"Well that's just nasty." She grimaced handing the binoculars back to Dean who took an overly dramatic breath in.

* * *

"If you moan one more time, I am going to shoot you, Al." Dean warned as the hunters entered their motel room. They paused as their eyes landed on a man sitting at the table, beer in hand. "See, Sam. Told you we should have hid the beer."

"Smartass. Get over here." Travis smirked as he stood up and hugged the oldest Winchester brother. "Ahh, good to see you." He muttered as he hugged Sam and they reminisced before he caught sight of the young woman. "No way! Is that little Allie?" He laughed.

"Sure is!" Dean grinned. "Minus the glasses and pigtails!"

"Been too long. I mean, look at you. Grown men and a beautiful young lady." Travis marvelled, "John would have been damn proud of you. Sticking together like this."

"Yeah. Yeah, we're as thick as thieves." Dean smiled falsely and Allie fought the urge to roll her eyes at him. Sam's smile faltered. "Nothing more important than family."

Allie threw herself onto Sam's bed as Travis and Dean sat at the table. After a moment or two, Sam lifted her legs and sat down allowing her feet to rest across his knees. She twiddled with her charm bracelet as the men spoke about Jack Montgomery.

"Boys, we got a rugaru on our hands." Travis announced finally catching the girl's attention who stopped spinning her bracelet and turned her head to look at him.

"A rugaru?" Dean and Allie asked in unison.

"Is that made up?" Dean continued.

"That sounds made up." Allie finished.

"You two still do that?" Travis chuckled at the pair who had always been notoriously in sync before he continued on to explain, "They're mean, nasty little suckers. Rotted teeth, wormy skin, the works."

"Well, that ain't this guy. I mean, he was wearing a cellphone on his belt." Dean argued as Allie nodded in agreement.

"He'll turn ugly soon enough. They start out human, for all intents and purposes."

"So, what? They go through some kind of metamorphosis?" Sam asked, fighting a smile as Allie muttered "nerd" from beside him.

"Yep, like a maggot turning into a bull fly. But most of all they're hungry."

"Hungry for what?" The older brother asked.

"At first, for everything, but then... for long pig." Travis answered, watching as Sam exhaled in understanding and the other two frowned in confusion.

"Long pig?" They asked simultaneously and Allie sat up in interest.

"He means human flesh." Sam answered receiving another "nerd" from Allie.

"And that is my word of the day." Dean grinned.

Travis then went on to explain the uncontrollable hunger that a Rugaru suffers from. Allie could relate all too well to a lack of control and wanted nothing more than to find a way to help the man. She also knew all too well what it was like to be born onto a path and forced by fate to follow it. According to the older man in front of her, the transformation happens quickly after they take their first bite of human flesh and there was no cure. Allie couldn't help but think that there might be a way to stop that from happening. _There has to be a way._ Jack Montgomery didn't ask to be a monster, just like she didn't and she was determined to help him, just like Castiel had helped her. She couldn't stop her mind from connecting herself to Jack, his curse ran in the family and as it turned out, hers did too.

* * *

"Not wasting any time, are you?" Sam spoke as he entered the motel room with Allie, both carrying stacks of paper. Allie had pulled him aside earlier and confided in him about her thoughts on the case; as suspected Sam had agreed with her and the pair had snuck off to the library to do some research.

"None to waste. The guy hulks out, we won't be finding bodies, just remains." Travis answered without looking up from the gas canisters that he was fixing with Dean.

"What if he doesn't hulk out? We did a little homework. Uh, we've been checking out the lore on rugarus."

"What? My 30 years of experience not good enough for you?"

"Not when you shoot first and ask questions later." Allie added in a stern tone causing Dean to shoot her a warning glance.

"Look, everything you said checked out, of course, but uh. I found a couple of interesting stories about people who have this rugaru gene or whatever. See, they start to turn, but they never take the final step." Sam spoke as saw the look in Travis' eyes and he moved in front of the girl to prevent an argument.

"They don't turn as long as they don't eat human flesh." Allie added as she stepped around the giant in front of her and addressed her friend as she sat on the bed.

"So what? Go vegan, stay human?" Dean asked suspicious of the duo in front of him.

"Basically. Or in this case, eat a lot of raw meat, just not..." Sam started as he looked through the papers, sitting down on the bed beside Allie.

"Long pig." Dean and Allie interrupted before smirking at each other.

"Good on you for the due diligence but those are fairy tales." Travis dismissed as he stood up and poured himself a cup of coffee, "Fact is, every rugaru I ever saw or heard of... took that bite."

"Fact is, you aren't the only person to come across one and you certainly aren't the only hunter in the world." Allie snapped, standing up as Sam grabbed her arm to hold her in her place as he stood also. She was irrationally angry at the older man's attitude and she was disgusted at the idea of killing someone who had yet to do something wrong.

"I suggest you watch your tone."

"And I suggest…"

"Okay!" Sam interrupted in a prolonged manner as he pulled Allie backwards by the hand. "I think what Allie means to say is that just because others have taken that step, doesn't mean Jack will."

"So what do we do? Sit and hope and wait for a body count?"

Allie scoffed and rolled her eyes before she pulled herself from Sam's grasp and sat down beside Dean who gave her a puzzled look which she returned with a muttered apology and a look that said she would explain later. She knew that she was being impossible and probably sympathising with the man too much but she just couldn't shake the feeling that she should do everything in her power to help him and Travis' ignorance was getting on her last nerve.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure he's a stand-up guy, but it's pure, base instinct. Everything in nature's gotta eat. You think he can stop himself 'cause he's nice?" Travis spoke as he looked between the pair who opposed him.

"I don't know. But we're not gonna kill him unless he does something to get killed for." Sam said firmly before walking out of the room.

"What's up with your brother? I mean Allie, you've always been a firecracker but Sam?" Travis asked Dean, puzzled by the younger brother's reaction to the case.

Dean, who glanced at the door before answering, shook his head in defeat: "Don't get me started."

* * *

As the hunters drove down a long winding road the boys spoke in the front seat. Dean wanted to be sure that if they couldn't rationalise with Jack, Sam would be able to burn him alive. Allie glanced at the younger Winchester who sat quietly staring out of the windshield with a serious, stoic expression on his face.

"Why aren't you giving Allie this speech too?" He muttered, frustration evident in his tone. "She is against this just as much as I am."

"Because I know that Al will do what it takes. In the end she will always do what's right." Dean answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "You sure your emotions aren't getting in the way here?"

As the words slipped out of his mouth, Allie cringed knowing that an argument would follow.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked confused to what his brother was getting at.

"You know, nice dude, but he's got something evil inside. Something in his blood. Maybe you can relate."

"Dean." Allie sighed tiredly, at the same time as Sam ordered that he stop the car.

"What?"

"Stop the car or I will!" Sam shouted as his face reddened with anger. As the Impala slowed Sam threw his door open and exited the car, soon followed by Dean.

Allie elected to stay where she was as tempers flew _again_. She watched as Sam yelled at his brother and walked further away. She watched as their faces contorted and they scoffed at each other's remarks and sighed as the volume of their argument increased ceaselessly. She closed her eyes and leant her head against the window as her companions roared at one another and she thought about a simpler time; a time when her biggest problem was douche-bag boyfriends:

 _"I'm gonna kill him!"_

 _"Dean! Stop, please. Just leave it!" Allie pleaded as she ran out of the Singer household, hot on her friend's heels. She watched through tear stained eyes as he pulled on his leather jacket and marched down the dirt track towards her car. "He's not worth it. Please!"_

 _Anger was evident in the teenage boy's eyes as he spun round to face the younger girl. "He made you cry. You can't tell me that that's okay, Al!" He challenged as she looked at him with pleading green eyes. "He can't just treat you like that and get away with it!"_

 _"He's not worth it." Allie whispered this time. "Let Louise have him..."_

 _A moment of silence passed between them until the Winchester sighed._

 _"Yeah well I guess he's lucky that you controlled your voodoo until he left..." The older boy muttered. He had been staying at Bobby's for a few weeks now and had come home from visiting one of the girls in town to find an out of control Allie. Her powers had taken over and smashed every glass object in her bedroom. He watched as she rubbed the cut on her hand shamefully, "But I'll still be praying that a vamp gets him." He added lightening the tone._ _A chuckle erupted from Allie's throat as she examined the stony expression on her best friend's face. "Come on, I'm pretty sure I saw some ice cream in your freezer so I will allow you...an hour tops of chick flick moments before I call you fat."_

* * *

Allie awoke with a startle and the last thing she remembered was closing her eyes briefly. She concluded that her exhaustion must had taken over as she stretched out her arms and yawned.

"Morning sunshine." Dean smirked, "Weeks of insomnia finally caught up to you, huh?"

"What time is it?" She asked as she rubbed her neck which was tender from the awkward position it was sitting in. "Where are we?"

"Watching Jack." Sam answered as he turned in the passenger seat to look at her, "He wouldn't listen to us…"

"Oh, come on!" Allie exclaimed in a rather Dean-like manner, "You guys didn't wake me?!"

However, before either of the Winchester brothers could answer, they caught a glimpse of Jack watching a woman getting undressed in her apartment before crossing the road and heading for her fire escape. Instantaneously, the boys grabbed their flamethrowers, tossed one to Allie and jumped out of the Impala.

The trio ran towards the building as fast as they could and Allie watched as Jack climbed up the fire escape towards the young woman's window. Flamethrowers at the ready, it wasn't long until the hunters had kicked down the apartment door only to realised that Jack must have controlled himself and left. Allie smiled to herself, glad that a part of the man remained tethered to his humanity but as the woman threatened to call the police, she followed Sam and Dean out of the apartment complex and that's when it happened.

As the cool night air hit her like a wall, her head began to pound and the world seemed to fade around her. She heard the muffled calls of concern coming from the men beside her but she couldn't respond; couldn't understand what they were saying as if they were speaking a foreign language. She was trapped in a maze within her mind with no anchor to what was real. The hairs on her arms stood on end as she gritted her teeth at the pain in her head. Her vision was soon flooded with images of a woman tied to a chair, Jack with a murderous look in his eye, Travis and a blood stained carpet. Her stomach began to churn as it threatened her and as she fell to her knees in pain, her hands began to shake until…nothing. She felt a pair of warm hands on her cheeks and they pulled her back to reality; the world stopped spinning and the tears in her eyes subsided allowing her to see with clarity.

"Travis." She whispered, "He's gone to Jack."

* * *

"That stupid son of a bitch." Sam muttered earning raised eyebrows from Dean and Allie as they climbed onto the front porch of the Montgomery residence.

The door swung open slowly under Dean's touch as they entered the house with caution. There were chairs lying on their sides and obvious signs of a struggle and as Allie's eyes surveyed the room she saw the pool of dark red blood from her vision. Her breath caught in her throat as she stepped backwards into Sam who rubbed her arm gently. Dean pressed forward as he followed the blood trail behind the couch and stumbled upon a chunk of meat.

"Oh, God. Think that's Travis?"

"I know that's Travis." Allie whispered and returned Dean's look of sympathy with a half-hearted smile.

"Guess you were right about Jack." Sam muttered looking completely defeated.

The next thing Allie knew was a white hot pain at the base of her skull as something hit her.

* * *

A strange heat warmed her cheeks as she regained consciousness and jolted up before groaning in pain. The source of the heat was the flamethrower that Sam held in his hands and as the room filled with the smell of burning flesh and incinerated hair, Allie noticed the look of disappointment on the hunter's face. She turned away from the burning man and tried to block out the sounds of his bloodcurdling screams; she wished with all her heart that she could have saved him, that she could have saved Travis before it was too late. She felt a warm sticky substance roll down her neck and as she reached a hand back to catch it, she winced in pain. Her small hand was coated in a thick layer of blood as she gently drew it away from her head; the huntress was irritated that she had missed the opportunity to help Jack for the second time and couldn't help but think that if she hadn't been so pathetic then the case would have had a different result. She clenched her fists in a cocktail of anger, frustration and sadness as Jack fell to the floor and Dean - who had also succumbed to a minor concussion - sat up.

* * *

From the back seat of the Impala, Allie could sense the disappointment and guilt that emanated from Sam as he stared out of the window silently.

"You did the right thing…You saved our lives." She whispered into the silence as she placed a small hand on his shoulder. The youngest Winchester look down and merely clasped her hand in his as a response. He wished that he could believe her.

"Sam, I wanna tell you I'm sorry. I've been kind of hard on you lately." Dean spoke as he watched his brother lower his head in defeat. Allie's heart ached as she saw how broken Sam looked. "It's just that your, uh, your psychic thing, it scares the crap out of me. I lost Al once and I'm terrified that you'll end up the same."

"Look, if it's all the same... I'd really rather not talk about it." Sam muttered finally turning his gaze to his brother.

"Wait a minute. What? You don't want to talk? You?" Dean joked.

"There's nothing more to say. I can't keep explaining myself to you. I can't make you understand."

"Why don't you try?"

"I can't. Because this thing, this blood, it's not in you the way it's in me. It's just something I got to deal with."

"Not alone." Allie spoke softly as she squeezed the hand that remained wrapped around hers. Sam sighed in response and remained silent for a few minutes as he looked at his reflection in the passenger side window.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter. These powers... it's playing with fire. I'm done with them." He spoke.

Allie watched as relief poured over Dean's face but as she caught Sam's gaze, she wished with all her heart that she could believe him.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, the characters or plot. I do own Allie, her plot and any characters that you do not recognise._**

It was late in the morning as the trio stood in the county morgue with the coroner. The hunters stood over the body of Frank O'Brien, a seemingly healthy forty-four-year-old marathon runner, who had apparently died of a heart attack. Allie had originally thought that the case had nothing to do with the supernatural but when Dean had found another two heart attack victims, who also appeared to be perfectly healthy, the boys managed to convince her to at least look into it.

"We just want to see the results of Frank's autopsy." Dean reasoned with the coroner who couldn't understand the FBI's involvement in the case.

"What autopsy?"

"The one you're gonna do." Allie and Dean spoke in unison, widening their eyes at the man in front of them as if it were an obvious answer.

Allie watched intently as the coroner cut into the body. She had always had an interest in biology and was always very good at it in school. Before she decided to become a hunter, she had intended to go to medical school with the college fund that Bobby had started the day she started preschool. She smirked as she noticed the queasy look on Sam's face as he took yet another fortifying breath, wincing at the snap of the man's ribs under the pressure of the cutters.

"Is that from a wedding ring?" Dean asked, breaking the silence. Frowning, the huntress looked at the man's left hand; she noticed a band around his ring finger, where the skin was noticeably lighter than the rest of his hand. "I didn't think Frank was married."

"Any idea how he got these?" Sam interrupted as he lifted Frank's arm which was covered in bright red scratches. As the coroner suggested that they were a result of his body falling to the ground when he died, Allie's frown deepened. Ignoring the men, she grabbed one of the man's hands and studied it; there were cuts and bruises along the knuckles and blood underneath the fingernails. _Was Frank in a fight? Or was the blood from his arm?_

"Huh." The coroner mused, drawing the young woman's attention. "I-I can't find any blockages in any of the major arteries." He explained as he ripped the heart out of its cavity, causing Allie to smile as a nauseated expression and a tinge of green crossed Dean's face. "Heart looks pretty damn healthy. Hold that a second, would you?" He added as he dumped the heart into the older brother's hands.

As Sam smirked at Dean's discomfort, karma soon got him. Allie thought it was like something out of a cartoon that she used to watch on a Sunday morning when the coroner cut into the spleen and it showered the younger brother's face in blood. She pursed her lips tightly together as a tiny snigger escaped from her and made a conscious effort to avoid making eye contact with Dean.

Allie paced back and forth as the hunters waited for the sheriff to see them. She sighed and was on her tenth pace when both Winchester's grabbed her, forcing her to sit in the seat between them. The deputy smiled at them in an almost too friendly manner causing the girl to frown at him and both boys to nudge her in the ribs. After what felt like a century to the impatient huntress, the sheriff exited his office and scolded his deputy for making them wait.

"Come on back." He smiled as he ushered them forward only to stop them at the door and demand they remove their shoes.

"Seriously?" Allie muttered as introductions were made.

Sheriff Britton seemed to get weirder in the young woman's mind as she studied him from the seat between the boys. She raised an eyebrow as he slathered antibacterial alcohol gel onto his hands. Allie continued to study the man as Sam asked him about Frank O'Brien.

"Me and Frank, we were friends. Hell, we were gamecocks." He told the trio. Naturally, Dean sniggered at the word gamecocks causing him to receive a stern look from the sheriff and a swift elbow to the ribs from Allie who fought a slight smile herself. "That's our softball team's name. They're majestic animals. I knew Frank since high school. To be honest, I just this morning got up the strength to go see him. Frank was...He was a good man."

"Yeah. Big heart." Dean spoke earning another elbow from his best friend as she smirked slightly. Sam looked at the two disapprovingly.

As the younger brother questioned the sheriff about Frank's behaviour prior to his death, Allie and Dean shared a look of boredom until both looked utterly flabbergasted as the man in front of them clarted his hands in alcohol gel again after coughing.

"So, why the Feds give a crap? You don't really think there's a case here?"

"No." Allie spoke for the first time, "It was just a heart attack."

"That was not just a heart attack." Dean and Allie loudly announced in sync as they left the sheriff's department. Sam smiled at the pair before agreeing.

"Definitely no way. Three victims, all with those same red scratches. All went from jittery to terrified to dead within 48 hours."

"Something scared them to death?" Dean asked rhetorically.

"All right, so what can do that?"

"What can't? Ghosts, vampires, chupacabra? It could be a hundred things."

"Yeah. So, we make a list and start crossing things off."

"Sam, that will take _forever_." Allie reminded the man as she overtook the pair.

The boys couldn't deny that she had a point so the trio decided to question Frank's neighbour; allegedly the last person to see him alive.

"Hang on, hang on. Al, wait!" Dean shouted, receiving questioning looks from both his brother and his best friend as they turned to look at him. "I don't like the looks of those teenagers down there…Let's walk this way."

His two companions frowned, bewildered as he quickly crossed the street.

As they sat in Mark Hutchins' house, they were surrounded by tanks of exotic creatures. Allie could sense the fear coming off of Dean and an unsettling thought crossed her mind; was he affected by whatever they were dealing with? She eyed the older Winchester cautiously as he glanced around the room with a look of panic; her brow creased as he gulped and then met her eyes.

Her attention was soon drawn when Mark declared that his neighbour had become withdrawn and was completely freaked out. Her eyes met Sam's as they shared a knowing look before surveying Dean, who also looked completely freaked out. As the seconds became minutes, Allie's brain began to pound against her skull and she blinked hard, rubbing her temples in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure.

"Do you know, uh..do you know what scared him?" Dean asked warily.

"Well, yeah, witches." The man answered in such a casual manner that it caused the girl to look up with raised eyebrows.

"Witches?" She drawled out as she sat back, ignoring her pounding head.

"Well, The Wizard of Oz was on TV the other night, right? And he said that green bitch was totally out to get him."

Allie's expression of intrigue fell immediately. The pain in her head spread to the muscles in her neck and she felt her temperature rise. As Sam continued the questioning, Allie glanced around the room at the animals inside the aquariums but as her eyes landed on a tank that held a tarantula, her blood ran cold. Jumping, she unconsciously grabbed Sam's arm causing him to look at her with a frown mixed with confusion and concern. Allie had always had arachnophobia, something Dean had teased her about from a young age; a shiver ran down her spine as she thought about it before she interrupted Mr Hutchins.

"I'm sorry. Now that I know that that thing's there, I kind of want to cry so I'm gonna wait outside." She chuckled nervously before she released Sam's arm and darted out to the Impala.

The young woman noticed that as soon as she left the house, the pain in her head subsided and she came to the conclusion that it must have something to do with her abilities. Her instincts were trying to tell her something but she had no idea what. After a while, the boys exited the house and made their way over to her.

"Spiders? We hunt monsters and you're scared of a spider?" Sam laughed prompting the girl to slap him in the stomach.

"Oh yeah." Dean whistled, "She's always been terrified of them."

"Yeah but since when have you been scared of snakes?" Allie frowned but as he simply shrugged, she turned to Sam, "Did you find out anything useful?"

"Not really but apparently Frank was quite a bully in his younger years"

"And he _was_ married, she died about 20 years ago." Dean interjected.

* * *

Allie sat in the passenger seat of the Impala as she waited with Dean whilst Sam checked Frank's house for any indication of what they are dealing with. Her head was pounding again and she felt like someone was squeezing it in a vice. Dean was sitting beside her, reading the file they retrieved from the county clerk's office whilst furiously scratching his arm. As Sam approached, Allie moved to the back seat; it was easier as she was a good foot smaller than him.

"Hey. Any luck at the county clerk's office?"

"I'm not sure I'd call it luck. Frank's wife, Jessie, was a manic-depressive. She went off her meds back in '88 and vanished. They found her two weeks later, three towns over. Strung up in her motel room, suicide." Dean answered showing his brother the file.

"Any chance Frank helped her along to the other side?"

"Nope. He was working the afternoon into the late evening so his alibi is airtight." Allie answered as she sat forward and rested her head in her hands. The pain was becoming unbearable and she was sure that she couldn't take any more painkillers without overdosing. Her neck felt red hot as a dull pain gnawed at the base of her skull.

The boys continued to talk about the case but Allie's hearing was muffled as it took all her energy not to scream out in pain. The impala crept forward at what felt like snail pace.

"Dude, you're going 20." Sam spoke.

"And?" Dean frowned.

"That's the speed limit."

"What? Safety's a crime now?"

"Dude, where are you going? That was our hotel."

"Sam, I'm not gonna make a left-hand turn into oncoming traffic. I'm not suicidal!" Dean shouted, causing Allie to groan. "Did I just say that? That was kind of weird."

"Hey," Sam spoke as he reached back and took one of the girl's hands away from her head. "What's wrong?"

"My head. It's been pounding constantly." She muttered and then a thought crossed her mind. The pain stopped when she left the house earlier and started when she went to the county clerk's office with Dean. Gasping in realisation, she let go of Sam's hand and placed a hand on Dean's shoulder. Suddenly the pain intensified and her mind filled with images; a little blonde girl, the sheriff lying lifeless on the floor and a smashed clock. Her ears were submerged in the sound of a rapid heartbeat and then it all stopped dead. _Dead._ "It's you." She whispered as she removed her hand and gained control.

Before Dean could ask for an explanation the car was filled with the sound of the EMF detector and as Sam moved it closer to the older Winchester it screamed louder, silencing as he moved it away.

"Am I haunted?" Dean asked wide eyed, glancing from Allie to Sam. "Am I haunted?!"

* * *

Sam wandered down the street towards the hotel the hunters were staying in. As he drew nearer he heard Eye of the Tiger and spotted a rather stressed out looking Allie sitting on the hood of the Impala. As she saw him approaching, she hopped down and almost ran to him.

"You are a sight for sore eyes," Allie sighed in relief, as Sam grinned down at her and she lent in and whispered "He's driving me insane." as her hazel green eyes widened.

The pair then made their way back to the Impala – Allie in no hurry – to see Dean lying in the front seat pretending to play the drums.

"Dude. Look at this!" He shouted over the music and stuck his arm out of the window to reveal three dark red scratches on the inside of his arm just beneath his elbow.

"I just talked to Bobby." Sam announced, drawing the attention of his companions.

"And?" They asked in unison, eager for an answer.

Allie's aching brain went numb as she listened to the younger Winchester explain a condition called ghost sickness. The condition was believed to have been caused by spirits infecting the living; making them anxious and then increasingly terrified until their hearts couldn't handle the pressure anymore. She rubbed her temples and squinted in frustration.

"Once a spirit infects that first person, Ghost sickness can spread like any sickness through a cough, a handshake, whatever. It's like the flu. Now, Frank O'Brien was the first to die, which means he was probably the first infected. Patient zero."

"Our very own outbreak monkey." Dean spoke, Allie assumed it was an attempt to lighten the mood but it fell onto the hardened, stressed ears of his brother and his friend.

"Makes sense…Is there anything we can do with him until we find a cure because I can literally feel is fear." The huntress interjected as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Seriously Dean, you're giving me a headache."

"Hey! You can't just lock me away like an animal!" Her best friend protested, "The amount of times I've looked after you…honestly, no respect!"

Sam raised his eyebrows in amusement at the duo before trying to explain how Frank had infected the other victims at the softball tournament. The trio concluded that Dean must have been infected when he came into contact with the body. Allie watched as Dean's face fell and he questioned the prognosis.

"So now what, I have 48 hours before I go insane and my heart stops?"

Sam winced at the question before muttering, "More like 24."

"Great. Just great." Allie muttered as she threw her hands up and shook her head.

She felt utterly hopeless. Her powers weren't doing anything but tiring her out and scaring Dean and they had less than 24 hours and next to no information. She looked at Sam helplessly, shrugging her shoulders slightly only to receive a look that she could only compare to a kicked puppy.

"Why me? Why not you? I mean, you got hit with the spleen juice." The older brother asked although it was obvious that he didn't like the answer. Sam explained the theory that he had discussed with Bobby and as it turned out all three victims were bullies.

"Basically, they were all dicks." He concluded.

"So you're saying I'm a dick?"

"Yep." Allie smirked, suddenly finding the whole situation amusing.

"All three victims used fear as a weapon, and now this disease is just returning the favour." Sam tried to explain gently as Dean glared at the two unaffected hunters.

"Okay, well then, you're a dick too." He tried to defend earning a chuckle from Allie before his brother smirked, confidently.

"Apparently, I'm not."

"Yeah well she's definitely a dick!"

The trio stood in the hot afternoon sun as they discussed ways to stop the disease before it was too late for one of them. It seemed to be the general consensus that Frank's wife was suspect number one.

"Who knows why she killed herself, you know? Hey, what are you doing waiting out here, anyway?" Sam asked the pair remembering that they had been sitting outside in the car when he arrived back at the hotel.

His question received a tired sigh from the huntress as his brother answered, "Our room's on the fourth floor…It's...it's high."

Watching as Sam rose his eyebrows and smiled, Allie pushed herself off of the car and moved to follow him inside, "I'll see if I can move us down to the first." He reassured his brother before turning to the girl, "Why didn't you think of that?"

"Uh, I was too busy trying to stop him from driving off?" She answered, her voice laced in sarcasm, "although with the speed he drives I would've caught him walking! Oh and you should know if you raise your voice too much? He cries!"

* * *

Dean sat at the table with a book in front of him as Allie lay sprawled out on the bed, also surrounded by books. The room smelt like an old library. Allie had elected to stay in the (now ground floor) motel room with Dean, in the hope that she could find some information in one of the hundred books that Sam always carted around with him. The ticking of the clock seems unnecessarily loud and she could feel her friend's rising anxiety so she didn't even flinch when he threw it across the room and watched it crack and contort into many pieces. Just like her vision. She did however notice the way he blinked and shook his head from time to time. _He's started hallucinating._

In record time, the older hunter had given up on research and decided to drink away his sorrows instead.

"Everything all right?" Sam asked as he re-entered the room, noticing the silence and the broken clock.

"Peachy." The pair responded simultaneously, not bothering to look up at the youngest hunter.

It remained that way for several more minutes as he explained that Jessie O'Brien's body had been cremated. She was not their ghost and they had no idea who was. Allie was growing more and more agitated by the minute, uselessness filled her hollow heart and desperation was adamantly trying to pry its way out of the cage she had placed it in earlier that day. The young woman was near breaking point and as her best friend clarified to the group that his head was on the chopping block, she snapped.

Suddenly, the book that was in her hand flew across the room, hitting the far off wall, "There is nothing in here!" Next, the book that sat just to her left joined it, "Or here." Followed by the book to her right "Or here! How are we supposed to fix this if we don't know anything about it?! Why can't people just die and be done with it?! Why do we have to suffer their nonsense and clean up their messes?" She ranted as she jumped of the bed and made her way to the table. Sam was sure that he could see the steam coming out of the girl's ears and as she picked up another book and shook it as she spoke, he jumped up and wrapped his arms around her to hold her still as she blew off some steam. "He's going to die and there's nothing I can do about it. Healing him isn't working, it's just sobering him up and tiring me out and if I have to stand in this motel room one minute longer, I am going to suffocate."

"This is freaking delightful." Dean muttered as he downed the rest of his beer, watching as his brother tried to calm his exploding friend.

Allie finally stopped struggling against the man and looked up at him, "We'll keep looking, okay? But he's drunk and you're freaking out." Sam almost laughed, "And I can't deal with both of you. Not at the same time."

"I promised that I would always have his back…" She whispered looking down at their feet.

 _"DEAN!" John roared as he stormed through Bobby's house into the living room. Eight-year-old Dean panicked knowing immediately why his father was furious. He had been playing with one of the guns in the trunk of the car and had somehow jammed a bullet into the chamber, a simple mistake but his father had forbidden him from touching the weaponry without his permission. "What did I tell you?!" He growled, advancing towards his son._

 _"It was me!"_

 _John paused and turned round to see six-year-old Allie standing holding the keys to the Impala. Dean's eyes widened in shock as his friend took the blame. He closed his eyes tightly as his father bellowed at the young girl and Bobby, who was her guardian, gave her a talk on responsibility and grounded her for a week. After the adults left, Dean snuck up to Allie's room to find her sprawled out on her bed watching Sam who was playing outside in the garden._

 _"Why did you say it was you?" He asked as he sat down beside her._

 _"He looked like he was going to hit you...it just kind of happened" she replied shrugging and smiling sheepishly. "You're my best friend, Deano, I'll always have your back."_

 _"And I will always have yours, that's a promise. How did you get Dad's keys?"_

 _"Pickpocketed him as he stormed past!" she grinned as the pair chuckled._

"Allie, listen to me." Sam's voice broke her from her memory. "We can beat this."

Nodding slightly, she let her head rest against his chest letting his breaths calm her as he planted a kiss on the top of her head. She held on to him as if he kept her grounded – like he was the only constant in their uncertain future as she came to terms with the fact that time was not on her side. Not on Dean's side. Just as her anger dissipated, it was replaced by panic as she was thrown back to the morbidity of their situation, a raspy cough sounded through the, now silent, motel room: "Dean? You okay?"

The pair pulled apart as they followed the oldest hunter into the bathroom as he choked and gagged over the sink, hastily spitting out what appeared to be a wood chip.

"We've been completely ignoring the biggest clue we have," Sam spoke as if suddenly enlightened, "you."

"I don't want to be a clue." Dean moaned childishly, almost stomping his feet for emphasis.

"The abrasions, this, the disease, it's trying to tell us something."

"Tell us what, wood chips?"

"Exactly."

Dean jumped as Allie's eyes widened in realisation and she practically shouted: "Of course!"

* * *

"I'm not going in there." Dean gulped as he looked up at the abandoned lumber mill.

"Yes you are." Allie spoke, deciding that tough love and reverse psychology was the way to go, "Or you can stay out here…by yourself, no protection if something comes and grabs you!" She smirked as her friend's face dropped.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes as Dean guzzled some Dutch courage: "Let's do this. It is a little spooky, isn't it?" Allie holstered a spare gun in the waistband of her jeans as Sam attempted to arm his brother. "Oh, I'm not carrying that. It could go off! I'll man the flashlight."

Sam and Allie's eyes rolled almost in sync as the older of the three stood smiling with his flashlight held close to his chest.

As they entered the lumber mill, Sam's EMF detector burst into life, although it was clear that Dean was the source of the interference. Allie noticed that she wasn't the only person being slightly short with the older Winchester and she felt slightly guilty. She of course knew that it wasn't his fault that he had been infected but she couldn't help but feel irritated by the whole situation. If Allie truly thought about it, she would conclude that her behaviour towards her friend was a defence mechanism; it was easier to shrug off the seriousness of the situation, even if it did eventually lead to an emotional breakdown like the one she exhibited earlier. But the young woman chose not to think about it, in fear of crying or losing control of her powers through grief.

She continued through the abandoned mill until Sam shouted her to wait. Dean jumped in fright at the sudden break in the silence.

""To Frank. Love, Jessie." Frank O'Brien's ring." Sam muttered as he stood and handed it to girl who had made her way back to the brothers. Squinting slightly, she held the ring up to the light that shone through the cracks in the wooden structure.

"What the hell was Frank doing here?" Dean asked, receiving a chorus of murmurs and shrugs in response.

As the trio made their way through the mill, Allie taking the lead – flashlight in one hand, gun in the other - followed by Sam and a hesitant Dean, they came across a room filled with old steel lockers. A muffled rustling could be heard by the keenest of ears and as the huntress crept forward, her combat boots crunching on empty crisp wrappers and clinking against the odd beer bottle, she halted in front of one of the middle lockers. Allowing Sam to skulk towards the door, she held her stance; gun at the ready, safety off and finger gently padded on the trigger. Their hearts beat out of their chests as they waited for the hunter to open the door and reveal the monster. Dean's laboured breaths tickled Allie's ear as he hid behind her, clutching her shoulders for dear life. As Sam swung the door open, the beating of their hearts grew louder in anticipation and Allie's finger itched to press the trigger. The young woman jumped out of her skin as a cat jumped out of the bent locker and the man behind her screamed his lungs out.

"That was scary!" Dean laughed as he recovered and watched his unamused brother and his now deaf-in-one-ear best friend shake their heads and leave. "Wait."

Allie continued through the darkened mill getting tangled in cobwebs that swung from the ceilings and light fittings. Her boots scuffed the dust covered floor as she cleared the room before entering, Sam and Dean soon joined her and the trio took in the room; empty cabinets strewn across the floor, pieces of paper scuffed with mud covering nearly every inch of the room. Allie trailed her fingers along the edge of a dirty wooden work bench as she examined a drawing of a woman.

"Hey, this is uh...this is Frank's wife." Dean spoke causing his friend to jump back, closing the mere centimetre between them.

"Stop doing that!" She whispered, scolding the man who kept appearing behind her.

Dean merely grinned cheekily and reached around her to tear up the drawing, comparing it to photo from the woman's file. Just as the drawing ripped, the machines that were integrated into the building suddenly burst into life.

"Dean! What?" Allie sighed as the older hunter started patting her shoulder frantically and Sam turned to look at the obviously panicked man.

Seeing the look on his face, his companions turned to follow his line of sight only to be met by a figure standing facing the wall in the corner. He appeared to be hunched over and as she studied him, Allie was swept away by a wave of sadness and despair. Her heart felt heavy as Sam shouted for its attention and she wanted to cry as it turned to look at them. The door swung back and forth as Dean scampered out of the building, filling the air with a quiet squeak. The huntress had never had such an experience, then again she hadn't come into contact with an apparition since she had returned. As the ghost advanced on them, the girl was frozen in her spot – Sam watched her cautiously with a frown, eventually taking it upon himself to shoot a salt round. When it collided and the spirit disappeared, Allie appeared to have been released from a trace, her eyes glistened with the hint of a tear and a subtle frown crossed her features causing the younger Winchester to reach out to her almost instinctively.

The two walked out of the building in silence to find Dean hiding behind the Impala drinking again.

"Guess we got the right place." Sam determined.

* * *

As the boys went to retrieve Luther Garland's file from the Sheriff's station, Allie remained in the car. The whole case was getting to be too much for the young hunter. She continually felt sick to the stomach, Dean was continually drunk and unfortunately she didn't have to time to think about how Sam was feeling. The case was too close to home and she hadn't long been back with Dean; the thought of losing the one person that she could depend on unconditionally, set her on edge.

That night, Luther's file led the trio to Peaceful Pines Assisted Living – a housing complex where Luther's brother resided. Dressed in their FBI suits, the hunters made their way inside the clinically white building. The halls were relatively empty except for the odd resident and as the trio rounded the corner, they came face to face with an elderly lady causing a very startled Dean to grab Allie's hand. Raising her eyebrows, she looked down at their hands but decided that her support was what he needed so she squeezed his hand gently and reassured him that it was all going to be okay.

"You two make a beautiful couple!" Another elderly lady smiled as she passed. Allie chuckled lightly and thanked the woman politely as Dean tried to hide his apprehension, both missing the way Sam's jaw clenched.

"This isn't gonna work. Come on, these badges are fake. What if we get busted? We could go to jail." Dean whispered, growing increasingly flustered.

"Dean, shh! Calm down. Deep breath, okay?" Sam spoke, watching as his brother mimicked his breathing. "There. You feel better?" he smiled but when Dean shook his head, he sighed and looked to Allie for help but not before glancing at her hand that was still intertwined with his brother's. An unknown feeling was surfacing and he didn't like it.

"Dean come on, we'll be fine." Allie smiled, "We're just going to talk to the guy and find a way to fix this, okay? Just…Don't talk and stop scratching."

As they approached Mr Garland, Sam introduced the three using their aliases and Allie studied the man. On first impressions he appeared mean but as her eyes glanced over his unkempt grey hair, deep frown lines and unshaven appearance, she noticed his eyes still held a certain light to them. He was a man who had lost a lot.

"Let me see some I.D." He commanded, untrusting of the trio in front of him.

"Those are real, obviously." Dean blurted as they handed over their FBI credentials and Allie's glare burned a hole in his left temple. "I mean, who would pretend to be an FBI agent, huh? That's just nutty!"

Mr Garland eyed the older Winchester sceptically as Allie stomped on her friend's foot as a final warning.

"What do you want to know?"

"Uh, well...according to this, your brother Luther died of physical trauma." Sam spoke holding out the file. He frowned when the man scoffed and looked out of the window. "You don't agree."

Moving his gaze back to the tall man, Mr Garland answered almost defiantly: "No, I don't."

"Well, then, what would you call it?"

"Don't matter what an old man thinks."

"It matters to us. Please, Mr Garland, we just want to help." Allie pleaded softly; the brothers watched as the old man's eyes softened as he looked across the table at the compelling young woman and he spoke directly to her.

Allie listened intently as the man spoke of his brother. As he told the tale of the kindest man he had ever known, the young woman began to understand the devastating sadness she had felt around Luther's ghost. He was so misunderstood that it hurt her; judged by his scary appearance, excluded because he was too big. Allie's heart felt heavy as she began to empathise with the man, he had never hurt anyone and he'd been failed by everyone. Her eyebrows rose as the man recognised Jessie O'Brien and claimed that Frank had actually been the one to kill his brother.

Sam asked the question that lay on Allie's lips as her words failed her: "How do you know that?"

"Everybody knows. They just don't talk about it." Mr Garland began, "Jessie was a receptionist at the mill. She was always real nice to Luther, and he had a crush on her. But Frank didn't like it. And when Jessie went missing, Frank was sure that Luther had done something to her. Turns out the old gal killed herself, but Frank didn't know that. They found Luther with a chain wrapped around his neck. He was dragged up and down the stretch outside that plant till he was past dead."

"That's awful." Allie whispered almost inaudibly. An innate part of her told her that Frank got what he deserved and she wasn't inclined to push that thought away as the man in front of her told how the local sheriff's department wanted nothing to do with Luther's case; nothing to do with solving the murder of the "town freak".

"You must have hated Frank O'Brien." Sam muttered.

"I did for a long time," Mr Garland nodded, "but life's too short for hate, son. And Frank wasn't thinking straight. His wife had vanished, he was terrified. A damn shame he had to put Luther through the same, but...that's fear. It spreads and spreads."

* * *

Dean concluded that the scratches on his arm were road rash and the woodchips that he had been coughing up all day had been the ones that Luther had swallowed as he was dragged down the road. _He was experiencing Luther's death_.

"Say we burn some bones and get me healthy." He suggested, looking hopeful, only to be disappointed by the two people who stood in front of him.

"I would give anything for it to be that easy…" Allie mused as she shook her head in defeat and made her way to the Impala.

"No, no, it'll be that easy. Why wouldn't it be that easy?" Dean questioned, following behind his friend. He had never seen her with such a look of exhaustion, such a look of devastation.

Sam explained the impossibility of finding all of Luther's remains. The poor man had been ripped into pieces as he was hauled along the road outside the lumber mill, his remains would have been scattered every time a stone on the road was disturbed.

Soon realising that his brother wasn't joking, Dean snapped: "You know what? Screw this."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Dean." His brother rushed, trying to get through to him.

"Come on. No, I mean, come on, Sam. What are we doing?!"

"We're trying to hunt a ghost to stop _you_ from dying!" Allie reminded the man as she frowned and shook her head, throwing her arms up in exasperation.

"A ghost, exactly! Who does that?"

"Us." Sam and Allie spoke deadpanned, looking at Dean like he had finally lost his mind.

"Us? Right. And that guys, that is exactly why our lives suck. I mean, come on, we hunt monsters! What the hell?! I mean, normal people, they see a monster, and they run. But not us, no, no, no, we - we search out things that want to kill us. Yeah? Huh? Or eat us! You know who does that? Crazy people!" The older Winchester shouted, his face growing redder as he pointed between them, "We...are insane! You know, and then there's the bad diner food and then the skeevy motel rooms and then the truck-stop waitress with the bizarre rash. I mean, who wants this life, Sam? Huh? Seriously? Do you actually like being stuck in a car with me eight hours a day, every single day? I don't think so! I mean, I drive too fast. And I listen to the same five albums over and over and over again, a-and I sing along. I'm annoying, I know that. And you -you're gassy! You eat half a burrito, and you get toxic!" Allie tilted her head in agreement with her friend until her turned to her: "And don't get me started on you! I mean aaaargh! Just…the pair of you! You know what? You can forget it."

The two younger hunters watched gobsmacked as he threw his brother the car keys, declaring that he quit and stormed off. They couldn't lie, the majority of what he had said was true but they had no idea that that was the way he had been feeling; they had always assumed that Dean loved this life.

* * *

After they had driven around the town, finding no sign of Dean, Sam and Allie headed back to the motel room. Both were completely exhausted, running on fumes. Allie was quickly running out of hope and if she allowed herself to think, she feared she would break down. _Again_.

The hunters sighed in relief as they were met by a petrified and slightly sweaty Dean sitting on the bed in their room.

"We looked everywhere for you, Dean. How the hell did you get here?" Sam asked, slightly scolding his big brother.

"Ran." The man panted as terror washed over his face, "What do we do now? I got less than four hours on the clock. I'm gonna die, Sammy."

Within a second, Dean jumped up muttering incoherently as Allie and Sam watching with a mixture of fear and confusion. As he flattened himself against the wall, shouting about his brother and evil, Allie felt his fear and it was awful. She knew that they needed to calm him down and slow his heart rate so she stood and quickly crossed the room toward him. As his eyes flashed with horror, she took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her.

"Dean! Hey it's okay, its me." She spoke softly, watching as his eyes widened in shock and he stopped struggling. She smiled and sighed in relief, she would never be prepared to lose him but the thought that that was the moment had terrified her more than she would ever admit. Before she knew it, Dean pulled her into a tight hug and as she wrapped her arms round him he held her. The older hunter would never voice it but he was terrified of leaving her. So he held her; held her as if she were the only thing tethering him to reality.

* * *

"I still feel bad leaving him."

Her voice brought Sam out of his thoughts as the pair leant against the Impala. He reached for her hand as he answered, "It'll be okay, with Bobby's help we'll have this done in no time. Promise"

"I just hate this. I mean what is the point in me having these _stupid_ powers if I can't help the people I love?" She asked looking him in the eyes for a moment before looking down and playing with his fingers that remained wrapped around her hand, "I couldn't even buy us more time."

"Hey." Sam whispered using his free hand to lift her chin, "Some things are just out of our control. But we're going to fix this. Together." He smiled as a car drove up.

Sam dropped his hand from Allie's chin as Bobby stepped out of his car, eyeing the pair of them. He smirked as they pull away from each other before he was pounced on by Allie.

"Hey Allie Cat, I missed you!" He chuckled, kissing her cheek, "Where's Dean?"

"Uh, home sick." Sam answered.

"So, have his hallucinations started yet?"

"About a few hours ago." Allie sighed.

Bobby nodded in understanding as he discussed their remaining time frame with Sam. _2 hours_. Allie had forgotten how much she appreciated her adoptive father until he handed her an encyclopaedia that contained the answer to their problems. As Sam glanced over the girl's shoulder at the book he frowned.

"You can read Japanese?"

Allie smiled as Bobby answered in Japanese and once she realised that Sam was looking at her too she answered, "I'm just looking at the pictures…" causing them both to smile at each other.

"Anyway, this book lists a kind of ghost that could be our guy. It uh, infects people with fear. It's called a Buru Buru." Bobby spoke, drawing their attention back to him.

"So how do we kill it?" Allie asked eagerly.

"Same as usual. Burn the remains."

"Wonderful. Uh...is there a Plan "B"?" The younger hunter asked rather sheepishly as Allie grimaced.

Allie concluded that Dean was right and they were completely and utterly insane. Plan B was to scare the ghost to death and she had laughed hysterically when it was first suggested by Bobby. As Sam called to check in with Dean, she rummaged in the trunk of the Impala for everything she thought they would need.

"Uh, just a good plan, all right? Hang in there." The youngest Winchester spoke as he hung up.

"This is a terrible plan." Bobby and Allie spoke instantaneously.

"Yeah, tell me about it."

Allie's hair stood on end as she followed Sam into the mill. It felt as though she had stepped through a gateway into another dimension, filled with static electricity. The pair frowned at each other as they stood in the room where they had first encountered Luther but he was nowhere to be seen.

They almost flinched in fright as Bobby's voice rung out through the walkie talkie: _"Any luck?"_

"I don't know what's wrong, Bobby. Last time he came right at us." Sam answered.

"He's scared…" Allie muttered to the giant who stood beside her. She couldn't feel any emotions other than her own panic but there was a residual feeling from earlier in the day that nagged at her subconscious. Seeing no other solution, Sam decided to make him angry by ripping up his drawings of Jessie. "I can't do it. It feels wrong…" Allie muttered, handing the drawing to an understanding Sam.

As more drawings fell to the floor in pieces, Allie felt unexpectedly sorry for the man that Luther had been as she saw past the horror that he had become. The monster that the world had carved him into. The machines soon burst into life; as did the huntress' phone.

"Dean, I can't…" She started only to be cut off.

 _"Al, there's hellhounds and Lillith and I'm going crazy, I…I can't breathe."_

Panic flew through the girl as she checked her watch, realising that they were down to their final minutes: "Listen to me, it's not real okay? Try and take a deep breath!"

On the other end of the call she heard her best friend shouting at his hallucinations and her eyes widened as she saw Luther finally appear behind Sam. Allie was torn. She thought about shooting the angry spirit that was choking Sam but she knew that if he disappeared, time would run out for Dean. Her mind buzzed as it tried to decide between the two and her hazel green eyes blinked back tears but as the next sentence came through the speaker of her cellphone, Allie had made her decision:

 _"Stay with me please. Al, don't hang up."_

A single tear cascaded down her cheek, "I'm not going anywhere okay? I just need you to hold on, try and stay calm. I'm not going to lose you."

 _"My…heart. Al…I'm sorry."_ Dean croaked through choked breaths and Allie's mind filled with images of him lying on the floor, clutching his chest. _Alone._

Her mind snapped into action as her phone slipped from her hand and landed on the floor, along with her gun. Through tear swamped eyes she made her way to the younger brother. The world seemed to slow as the final seconds on the clock came to an end and the young woman tossed the iron chain with all the strength that she had left. Time seemed to slow further as she watched it slide into Sam's hand as he almost dropped it before he swung it around Luther's neck.

"Bobby, punch it!"

The roar of the Impala filled the surrounding area and the hunters watched as the struggling spirit was yanked across the floor and out of the building. Before he realised it, Sam's feet had carried him to Allie and he engulfed her in a hug. She returned it immediately and desperately as she placed a lingering kiss on his cheek before tightening her grip on him.

"Dean." Allie whispered in realisation that she hadn't confirmed his fate. She tore herself away from Sam and scrambled to grab her phone, asking urgently into the microphone. "Dean?!"

Seconds seemed like minutes and minutes seemed like hours as she closed her eyes and prayed for a response.

 _"I'm okay."_

* * *

The sun beat down onto her bare arms as she sat crossed legged on the roof of her adoptive father's car. She was glad the case was over and as Dean handed her an ice cold beer, she smiled in contentment; it was moments like these that reminded her why she did what she did. Moments like these that reminded her of the importance of her cut and paste family in her whirlwind life – the importance of sticking together.

"So you guys road-hauled a ghost with a chain?"

"Iron chain etched with spell work." Sam answered his brother with a smile.

"Hmm, that's a new one." Dean mused as he took another swig of his beer.

Allie shuddered as she thought of the whole ordeal before explaining: "It was his biggest fear…horrible though."

"On the upside, I'm still alive, so uh, go team!"

"Yeah. How you feeling, by the way?" Sam asked, praying for an honest answer, only to be sorely disappointed.

"Fine."

"You sure, Dean? 'Cause this line of work can get awful scary." Bobby asked as softly as his gruff tone would allow.

"I'm fine. You want to go hunting? I'll hunt. I'll kill anything." Dean spoke riling himself up and causing Allie to throw her head back laughing before jumping off of the roof of the car. The older Winchester smiled briefly at the innocence that shone through her laugh, glad that one thing remained from the girl that she used to be before the supernatural tainted her.

"Awwww, he's adorable." Bobby teased, pulling the girl into a hug before his departure, "I got to get out of here, love ya." He spoke as he kissed her head before adding, "You boys drive safe and look after my little girl!"

"Always do, Bobby." Sam grinned as Allie stood between him and his brother. They waved as the older man drove out of sight before Sam asked the question that had been burning his thoughts all day, "So, what did you see? Near the end, I mean."

Dean looked at Allie for some confirmation that she wouldn't call him out on his next lie. A small smile of reassurance was all he needed so he answered: "Howler monkeys. Whole roomful of them. Those things creep the hell out of me." But after seeing his brother's look of disbelief he added, "No, just the usual stuff, Sammy. Nothing I can't handle."

And with that, the trio finished their beers whilst enjoying the serenity of the afternoon before they were thrust into another case.


End file.
